The Versatile
Chapter 25's

"Hazel! Hazel!" shouted Hamish who was now out of the Monas area. "Josh where are you? I'm outside the gate! South," Hamish told Josh through his earpiece.

"I'll be there! I think Hazel's been caught, we need to come up with a new plan!" Josh walks through the crowd towards Hamish.

Someone in the middle of the crowd and looking like a confused person, that's Hamish. Without hesitation Josh approached Hamish and patted him on the shoulder. Hamish looked back and found Josh.

"We should walk far apart, so that no one is suspicious." Hamish said slowly. Hamish walked first.

Josh moved away from Hamish but was still within sight, then he followed Hamish. "We have to help Hazel" Josh said through his earpiece.

"Not now! I'm sure Hazel doesn't want us caught either."

This time they just kept quiet, until they got in their car. They removed all their disguise attributes. At home they are silent and they feel guilty because Hazel was caught. Josh lowered his head without saying a word, so did Hamish. Tension and fear are mixed within them.

"I'll make a deal with Haikal!" ujah Hamish later.

"For what? To free Hazel? He'll just trap you and catch us!" Josh pressed his body backwards.

Hamish was silent, as if thinking. "You're right. But I know what to do." Hamish's body leaned forward. The conversation is headed for seriousness. "We're gonna sneak. I know where Hazel is locked up. There's only one secret place to lock up people like Hazel.”

“Wait! People like Hazel? Is there anyone else like him?” josh asked, now his body is also leaning forward.

“That place has not been used for decades. There was a rebellion here, but it wasn't as bad as Hazel did.” Hamish rubbed his nose.

“Alright, show me where it is. We do as Hazel did.”

***

“What are you doing?” Nissa peeked out from behind the wall.

“Creating staregi to go under there.” Spencer removed some of what he thought was useless.

Nissa walked over to Spencer. “Can I come?” the night wind is pretty strong up here. Especially with the condition of the roof and damaged walls.

“You're serious?” Spencer's eyes were fixed on Nissa.

"Yes. If this concerns our lives, the people who live above, I'm willing to come with you. There have been many of us who have died of hunger, many diseases. Since most of us are poor and uneducated we know nothing of medical science."

The reason Nissa gave was logical, but that was not the only goal. He wants to be by Spencer's side for a little longer. It was his great sympathy that made Nissa like this man.

"But I can't guarantee your safety" Spencer added to reassure him.

Nissa just agreed. Spencer still had doubts about Nissa's decision. Many times he convinced her again, but the answer remained the same. Nissa held fast to her beliefs.

“Alright, we make a deal and make all this easy,” Spencer said firmly.

“OK, whatever our deal I agree.” That's what Nissa said, even though she doesn't yet know if the deal benefits her or not. Thinking better before acting is Spencer's principle, but not Nissa's.

“First I want to start from now on you think before you act. Don't ask me why, but I want you to do it. Second, since I can't guarantee your safety, you should be able to use the weapon.” Spencer pulled out a knife. “Take this! you can throw this at the target. I'll teach you later.”

Nissa took. His slightly rough hands touched Spencer's. Evidence that all the work he's done is to make ends meet in this difficult life. “If my knife is in the kitchen,” the answer is short.

“This is different, the handle is made fused. In order not to be slippery when you throw it at the target.” Spencer gave me three pairs of knives. “And the third, you can't go down there in clothes like this.”

To Nissa's surprise, she silently watched her clothes. Is his clothes so ugly that he can't dress like that down there? Nissa looked at her clothes that were already perforated and patched everywhere. Her shabby, shabby pants have been her mainstay all along, but if she wants to stay near Spencer she has to change her clothes.

“Good. This shirt is not worth wearing,” said Nissa a little annoyed.

“I didn't mean to insult you. It's just that if you dress like this down there, you'll be the center of attention. I can see from their clothes that they don't care about other people. But if it's a matter of clothing as if you're the one on earth.”

“Perhaps, they say that everyone has been rich and as far as I've seen all this time, everyone doesn't wear clothes that have ugly holes or threads that come out. Even color faded.”

“Then they definitely buy clothes every week.”

“Well, you start typing.”

Nissa justifies her hijab. Spencer sat on a rattan bench that was almost broken, but could still support his body. Nissa knew that if she was on Spencer's side it would be dangerous for her. But she was not that selfish either, she was also thinking about her sister. Not being caught is the principle. After all, he could not just hand over the safety of his country to others. He also has the right to fight for his homeland.

“We leave tomorrow night. Make sure your decision does not make you regret it. I don't want us to retreat in the middle of a war,” Spencer asserted.

“I understand.”

***

Blood flowed from Hazel's forehead. He thought it was sweat, but when he smelled it, it was blood. It's been two hours since Hazel was captured and taken to a place Hazel doesn't know. His eyes were closed on the way to this place.

The door opened, and Hazel, who was still tied to a chair, suddenly became alert.

“Look off Hazel. I just want to talk.” The voice he thought was not foreign. The exact same voice the first time he heard.

Hazel just kept quiet. When Haikal's face appeared, a feeling of annoyance mixed with anger made Hazel want to hit him. Not in this situation, tied up. Hazel took a deep breath and calmed down.

“There are so many things I want to ask you. What is your real purpose here?” haikal asked, his face very relaxed behind his slippery suit.

Hazel's eyes were fixed on Haikal's. That deadly sharp gaze he kept showing.

"We won't take long if you work together." Haikal sat on a chair in front of Hazel. "You just have to answer a few questions."

Hazel raised her head. "What's in it for me? Parole?" his voice evokes firmness.

"Of course not. But this will benefit us, whether with you. Maybe food rations." Haikal shrugged his shoulders.

"Then just ask my ancestors" said Hazel.

"If we can do that, of course, but unfortunately, there's only you here, little girl. So you better answer our questions." There was a satirical tone from his words.

Hazel spits on his floor. "Talk to yourself!" this time Hazel's anger overflowed. It is like a fire that cannot be extinguished.

Haikal only looked at Hazel for a moment, then he looked at the paper he was carrying and started asking questions. "What time are you from?" ask Haikal. There was no answer, Hazel was silent.

"How did you get here? What is your real purpose? Destroying the future? It's not logical, it's your future too!"

Again Hazel was silent without a single word coming out of her mouth. His face was flat looking ahead. Without seeing Haikal's dark brown eyes.

"Alright if you don't want to talk. But look me in the eye!" Haikal insisted that Hazel look him in the eye. But Hazel didn't turn in the slightest to look at Haikal.

Haikal stood up from his chair, his patience exhausted by Hazel. "Don't feed him till he talks!" haikal orders one of the officers, then he walks out without looking back.

Hazel was still down, a moment later she lifted her head, as if scanning every corner of this place. Four guards inside, one at the door, two at the back, and one outside.

It was easy enough to beat them all up, if only he wasn't tied to this chair. A layered security door was seen when Haikal was about to exit this door. But beating all the officers and opening the security door, that's impossible.